Skirt Table News Update

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Ready for relaxed Mexican? Pink Cactus opens March 8 with its walk-in only 40-seater at 100-A Spring Street. Pink Cactus will offer small bites, salsa, tacos and desserts and, for now, it’s dinner only, although lunch service will start this spring.

Charleston got a four-for-one when the Bennett Hotel opened next to Marion Square. Also opening is Gabrielle with Executive Chef Michael Sichel, Coastal Carolina cuisine, and an outdoor terrace that opens directly onto the square; Camellias, a bar that features champagnes and caviar plus desserts; Fiat Lux, a rooftop cabana; and La Patisserie Charleston, featuring sandwiches and pastries.

If you’ve been to Classic Coffee in Avondale recently, you may have noticed: They have a new name, Highfalutin Coffee Roasters. The new owners said they might as well own the fact that they like their coffee rare and boutique.

East Haven, Connecticut, is bringing Tolli’s Apizza to Johns Island later this year.

Johns Islanders Kristin and Kayla Bennett are going to be opening The Woodruff, a date night spot cocktail bar with charcuterie and sandwiches at 1803 Crowne Commons Way. Stay tuned for the opening date, expected this summer.

The Old Village Post House has closed. No word on plans for the space, which was owned by Halls Management Group.

Monza on King Street is open again after gobbling up neighboring Closed for Business and making it live up to its name. The pizza and pasta joint has refurbished and expanded the dining room.Coorg Indian Café is open in Mt. Pleasant at 1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Suite 1300. You may think of tea when you think of Indian food, but the owners want to feature the lesser-known coffee traditions of India as well.

CHEF MOVES

Tradd’s on East Bay Street has a new executive chef, Brandon Buck. He had been Chef de Cuisine and replaces Drew Hedlund, who has moved over to the role of Director of Culinary Operations for Rockit Hospitality, which owns the restaurant as well as Fleet’s Landing.

Cannon Green on Spring Street welcomes Orlando Pagan as its new executive chef.

If you think you see Chef Jeremiah Bacon back in the saddle at Macintosh, you’re not wrong. Bacon is taking over until Chef Jacob Huder’s replacement is found. Huder took off for Montana to open his own place.

The Warehouse on Spring Street has promoted sous chef Colin Connelly to take over for executive chef Jason Daly. He’s bringing a focus on ramen to the menu, along with more traditional gastropub fare.

EVENTS

In case you didn’t notice, the whole city starts March not like a lion, but like a foodie, with the Charleston Wine + Food festival, which takes over most of the city. Explore Marion Square for a quick peek or visit the website and see if you can score any few remaining tickets to this mostly sold-out event.

For those struggling with over-indulging at the festival, Goat.Sheep.Cow. north at 804 Meeting Street, will be hosting a Hangover Helper featuring wines and beers from 2 to 7 p.m. March 10. Will Lacey of Driftwood Pantry will be firing up his smoker and grill to offer food to soak up that alcohol.

The same location is also hosting a series of Sunday Suppers. The concept is designed to highlight the importance of gathering family and friends and features various chefs and wine pairings. The dinners are from 4 to 8 p.m. and are first come, first served.

At Nico’s, fight winter on Feb. 28 with the Alsatian Choucroute Garnie, a hearty dressed cabbage and pork dish that will include wine pairings.

The 12th Annual Lowcountry Local First’s Good Farming Initiative Chef’s Potluck is coming on April 28 at Middleton Place. Some of the city’s finest chefs create food using local products and music, farm and stable tours and an interactive photo booth offer entertainment. All proceeds help nurture efforts to nurture future farmers. Ticket prices go up at the end of the month, so get your early bird tickets now.

What do you know about grits? Experts Nathalie Dupree, farmer and miller Greg Johnsman, and Erin Byers Murray, author of “Grits: A Cultural and Culinary Journey Through the South,” will form a lively – and dare we say, gritty – panel on March 7 from 4-5 pm at Millers All Day, 120 King Street. Light drinks and snacks will be served. Call 843.501.7342 or email: info@millersallday.com.

Food plus shoes? Sign us up! From March 7-11, leather shoe company, Sabah, will be in residence in the garden at Basic Kitchen. The traveling shoe brand will show off their shoes, along with herb-infused cocktails from the garden. The pop-up is from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. each day.

On March 27, Basic Kitchen turns into “BK Weinlokal,” highlighting a menu of wines paired with German food. Chef Nicholas Wilber will lighten up the traditional fare with seasonal, local produce and BK’s wine team will be on hand to school you on Riesling and other German wines. Reservations are available on Resy and menu items and wines are served a la carte.

If you think their food is a home run, you might want to check out the Swig & Swine College classic March 1-3 at the Shipyard Park. There will be music and food, of course, and the baseball tournament will be between Charleston Southern University, the University of Notre Dame, and Ball State University.If you really want the luck of the Irish, Prohibition wants you to know it’s the only Irish-owned bar on the peninsula and they serve a mean Irish coffee on March 17 and every day.

The Tea Room at St. Philip’s Church is an annual tradition for many. This year, the tea room opens April 29-May 3 between 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Nothing nouvelle, no gimmicks, just good Lowcountry food served by the parishioners. Proceeds go to the church’s local and international missions as well as the youth ministries and choir.

MENU AND VENUE CHANGES

If you were feeling like Mondays needed more brisket, good news. Lewis Barbecue, 464 Nassau Street, is now open seven days a week, and that includes Mondays, when it used to be closed.

Or, if cheese and charcuterie is more your thing, Goat.Sheep.Cow. on Church Street is now open on Mondays.

Bay Street Biergarten recently launched a “Pick 2” lunch menu making lunch options on the peninsula easier than ever that gives diners a bit more flexibility in what size they want their lunch – either the $8 option or the $10 option.

The Warehouse is going to be focusing a bit more on ramen. New executive chef Colin Connelly says it’s going to be a ramen bar and gastropub vibe.

The Restoration Hotel’s The Watch is getting a menu refresh with the appointment of Daniel Nightengale as food and beverage director.

Hurry on over to 82 Queen if you want to take advantage of their anniversary menu. The classic has been in Charleston for 37 years and, to celebrate, from Feb 25-March 3, wines by the bottle and by the glass will be 55 percent off.

KUDOS

Babas on Cannon was listed by Garden & Gun Magazine as one of the South’s Best New Bars.

Remember the government shutdown? Longest on record, but at least D’Allesandro’s Pizza made it a bit nicer by delivering a stack of pizzas and some salad to TSA workers at Charleston International Airport.

Yelp says that Halls Chophouse is the 18th Best Place to Eat in the U.S. for 2019. Myles and Jun Yakitori of Summerville made the list at #33.

Chef Marc Collins, co-owner of Circa 1886 Restaurant and Kitchen 208, has been chosen as one of the state’s Chef Ambassadors. The honor means he spends the year helping promote the state and its products in addition to helming his restaurants.

Harold’s Cabin is the “coziest” restaurant in the state, according to Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Kelly Chu, who makes Cirsea Gelato, in addition to owning Betty’s Diner and Red Orchids Bistro, has the No. 16-best gelato in the world, according to the Italian organization that decides these things.

Charleston Grill is the No. 1 most romantic restaurant in the U.S., according to TripAdvisor. The list is based on diner reviews.

Hooray for the “green machine” – Roti Rolls was among the Food Network’s list of “America’s 26 Best Food Trucks.”

If you haven’t binged yet on the food porn that is Netflix’s Chef’s Table, now’s a good time to start. Sean Brock – gone from Charleston but hardly forgotten – is the first chef featured in the new season.